After a long war of independence against Ethiopia, Eritrea formally gained independence in 1993 following an overwhelming referendum. By 1998, Eritrea was governed by a highly centralized revolutionary leadership. Many leaders were former commanders from the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF), who led the war of independence. This government emphasized nationalism, self-reliance, and military discipline. At this time, tensions with Ethiopia were growing over border disputes, currency disputes, tariffs, and economic disagreements with Ethiopia as the countries separated. Actions like introducing the Eritrean currency, the nakfa, in late 1997 fractured economic relations and heightened tensions with Ethiopia over trade and exchange systems. There is further economic friction with access to ports. A key leadership figure of this cabinet included President Isaias Afwerki, who has served as president since independence and was the former leader of the EPLF. In summary, this was not a traditional liberal democratic cabinet. Instead, it was a revolutionary cabinet filled with liberation war veterans working to set up a new state with deeply distrusted neighbors.

In 1998, Eritrea stands at a precarious crossroads. Having only formally achieved independence from Ethiopia in 1993 following a grueling 30-year liberation struggle, the young state has barely begun the work of building functional state institutions. However, tensions with its neighbors are reigniting. Eritrea borders Ethiopia, Sudan, and Djibouti, and it has accused all three of supporting violent insurgencies in Eritrea. With such hostile neighbors, the country’s broader foreign affairs are not merely diplomatic formalities but existential necessities. Amid this instability, the single-party rule of the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, the direct successor of the EPLF, is becoming deeply entrenched. This is alienating potential allies who do not want close ties with an authoritarian state. This committee will begin its simulation in January 1998, a time when a long-simmering border dispute centered on the small town of Badme is now threatening to be the focal point of a new war. Delegates will step into the roles of the ministers and advisors tasked with guiding a nascent government through one of its most defining moments. This committee offers a rare opportunity to engage with the compounding pressures faced by postcolonial governments: scarce resources, fragile institutions, contested borders, and the ever-present weight of a population whose hopes for self-determination had only recently been realized.